Visiting Professor Considers Atlanta, Rio
Romulo Sampaio, professor of environmental law at the Getulio Vargas Foundation in Rio de Janeiro, is visiting Georgia State University College of Law this month to lecture on land use law and urban planning in South America.
It is Sampaio's third year lecturing at Georgia State Law as part of the International Perspectives on Urban Law and Policy course, which is affiliated with the Center for Comparative Study of Metropolitan Growth.
This year's class, which includes more than 20 students, should be particularly lively because several have participated in the center's summer study abroad program in Rio de Janeiro, and will bring first-hand experiences to class.
"Spending time to get to know the country we're studying is important to the class," Sampaio said. "Students should take from this course the good and bad things we do in South America and give them elements to rethink urban spaces in their daily practice."
The class will consider case studies from the 1996 Olympic Games and how Rio de Janeiro might borrow from or improve on particular elements for 2016. Additional discussion points include increasing access to public transportation incorporating low-income housing into city centers and providing opportunities for everyone in a given urban area.
"It's important to have different perspectives and to learn about different cultures and systems, even if you're going to stay local in your practice," Sampaio said.